Safety device for cars.



Patented lan. I6, |900.

No. 64I,299.

J. KELso. SAFETY DEVICE FOR CARS.

v (Application led Nov. 23, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WiWi/ewes JAMES KELSO, OF MURRAY, ALABAMA.

SAFETY Device Fon CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,299, dated January16, 1900. Application filed November 23, 1899. Serial No. 738,088. (Nomodel.)

. tion.

In mines and other places where railways are constructed on steepinclines or slopes great difficulty and loss of life and property areexperienced by reason of the fact that the cables or ropes and thecoupling devices connecting the cars or trucks therewith are constantlybreaking, allowing the cars to rapidly descend the inclines or slopes.The result is that the cars are oftentimes demolished, long stretches oftrack are torn up, and frequently the operators are seriouslyl injuredor killed.

The object of the presentinvention is to provide what may be termed asafety device in the nature of an automatic catch which will operate tochock or block one or more of the wheels of a car in case of breakage ofthe cable or coupling and bring said car to a standstill immediatelyafter the break occurs Without giving the car time to gain anyconsiderable headway or impetus. The safety device in no way interfereswith the travel of the car on the track, as it yields automatically outof the path of the Wheels, but instantly assumes a position in rear of awheel as soon as a wheel has passed by it.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thecourse ofthe ensuing description.

The invention consists in a safe-ty device for cars, embodying certainnovel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andincorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a detail perspective view of asafety device constructed iu accordance with the present invention. Fig.2 is a side elevation of the same, taken from the opposite side fromFig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 4L is a cross-sectionon the line X X of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view showingthe manner of applying the safety device to a road-bed.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The safety device contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially,a catch-block 1, which for convenience is mounted upon a base 2, whichmay be either of metal o'r wood and which is secured upon the uppersurface of a railway-tie adjacent to one of the rails thereof andpreferably upon the outer side of the rail. The base 2 should be ofsufficient height to bring its upper surface into the same horizontalplane with the upper surface of the ball or head of the rail in orderthat the catchblock may swing inward over the head of the rail, so as toproject into the path traversed Y by the car-wheels.

The catch-block l is tapered toward one end and provided with an openingthrough which passes a pivot-bolt 3, which extends at of the road-bed.The opposite or freeend of the catch-block 2 is `provided with a mortise4 in its lower edge, within which is arranged a supportingantifriction-roller 5, the said roller being j ournaled in a hanger 6,attached to the catch-block and rolling upon a track 7 consisting of thebase or horizontal portion of an L-shaped bracket 8. The track 'Zconstitutes one arm of the bracket, and the other `arm is extendedvertically upon the outside of the'- catchblock and in parallel relationthereto.

Secured to the catch-block 2, at or near its free end, is alaterally-projecting bolt 9, the outer end of which extends'throughanopening 10 in the bracket 8 and receives upon its outer threaded end aretaining-nut ll, by means of which the throw or inward movement of thecatch-block may be limited, the said nut striking against the outersurface of the bracket 8. A coil-spring l2 encircles the bolt and isinterposed between the bracket S and the catch-block, the said springexerting its tension to yieldingly press the catch-block inward intothepath of the wheels of the car. In other words,said spring holds thefree end of the catch-block in line with and just above one of the railsof the track, so as to block the rearward movement of the wheels in theevent of the cable or coupling breaking. The catchblock 2 is also facedupon its outer side with a metal wear-plate 13, against which the carright angles or perpendicularly to the plane Y IOO wheels strike andslide as the car is moved along the track, the catchblock being thusforced outwardly by the Wheels and yielding to allow the wheels to passby the same.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided asimple automatic catch for cars which is especially adapted for miningpurposes where the cars are run upon inclines. It will also be seen thatthe catchblock yields automatically as it is acted upon by thecar-wheels and that it automatically springs inward behind the wheelsafter they have moved out of contact therewith. Therefore should thecable or coupling break and the car start backward one of the wheels ofthe car will come in contact with one of the safety devices orcatch-blocks and the backward movement of the car will be immediatelystopped. Safety devices constructed in accordance with the presentinvention are placed at intervals along the road-bed, the frequency ofthe intervals being governed to a great extent by the pitch or steepnessof the incline. In order to allow the cars after they have been emptiedto move backward to the starting-point without interference on the partof the safety device, it is preferable to lay two tracks, one of whichis partially included within the other, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, at the same time providing switches for moving the car to thedesired track.

The catch-block may be entirely of metal, or it may consist of woodfaced with metal.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction operation andmany advantages of the hereindescribed invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-n 1. An automatic safety device forthe purpose specified, consisting of a catch-block hinged on an axisperpendicular to the roadbed, and mounted adjacent to the road-bed toswing horizontally into the path of the wheels of a car, and means foryieldingly urging the free end of the block into position to engage suchWheel, substantially as specified.

2. An automatic safety device for the purpose specified, consisting of acatch-block, hinged at one end on an axis perpendicular to the road-bed,and free at its other end and mounted adjacent to the road-bed to swinghorizontally into the path of the wheels, and means for yieldinglyurging the free end of the block into position to engage such wheel,substantially as described.

3. An automatic safety device for the purpose specified, consisting of acatch-block hinged on an axis perpendicular to the roadbed, and mountedadjacent to the road-bed to swing horizontally into the path of theWheels, and a spring arranged behind the catch-block and adapted to urgethe same yieldingly into position to engage one of the wheels,substantially as described.

4. An automatic safety device for the pur pose specilied, consisting ofa catch-block hinged on an axis perpendicular to the roadbed, andmounted adjacent thereto to swing horizontally into the path of thewheels, a bracket located adjacent to the catch-block, a bolt attachedto the catch-block and passing through said bracket, and a coil-springencircling said bolt and interposed between the bracket and block,substantially as described.

5. An automatic safety device for the purpose specified, consisting of acatch-block hinged on an axis perpendicular to the roadbed, and mountedadjacent thereto to swing horizontally into the path of the car-wheels,a supporting-roller carried by the free end of said catch-block, andmeans for yieldingly urging the free end of the block into the path ofthe wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES KELSO.

Witnesses WM. M. WALKER, H. MCGEEVER.

